This edition of our News Letter, started in 1996, will be the last of this millenium.
It is therefore worth taking a look at what are the specific developments that have taken place during the last few decades of this millenium in regard to wine production and its distribution.

Regularity in the quality has made a giant leap forward, moving from the empiric practices of our ancestors to the scientific methods revealed by the progress of knowledge.
Progress in two areas :

1. First and foremost in the domain of viticulture :
more rigorous pruning, green harvests, healthier vines, better understanding of maturation :
not only of the flesh of the grape, but also of the skin and the pips, and of all the
components : anthocyans, polyphenols, sugar content, acidity, etc.

2. Next, in the domain of vinification :
temperature control, extraction, better treatment of the musts.

Notwithstanding, are we heading towards “wine-products”, born of scientific recipes,
well made, uniform, regular in quallity, without surprise or personality, attractive young,
threatening to become dry with age, young commercial wines in complete opposition to
what have always been the special features and greatness of Bordeaux wines -
their complexity and longevity ?

Pichon certainly has no intention of succumbing to the temptation of the short term.
A work of art reveals itself with the passage of time.

Yet another development that has taken place at the end of the century, is globalization.
The last twenty years have seen the rapid growth of

a) an interest in, knowledge of and an increasing demand for wine by the media.
For some it has even become passion, fostered by curiosity and a thirst to know more.
Such is the fascination for this mythical libation that is wine; and,

b) at the same time, the development of the viticultural regions of the New World :
California, Australia, South Africa, Chile, Canada… producing different wines,
coming from different conditions of terroir, climate, grape varieties, but made also
by professionals and enthusiasts of this mythical wine ?

The 3rd Millenium will therefore see :
- a growing diversity of products of the vine
- a fierce competition of wines on offer
- a competitiveness with regard to quality/price

The survivors will be the wines of quality, the wines with personality and thewines that represent a cultural message.